Speaking assignments 

JPN 102 students: 

You are submitting your recordings (MP3 format) of conversing totally in Japanese on the topics that you learned this semester with at least two native Japanese people.  
JPN 101 students:  Mid-term recordings of 3 -4 min. long each.  The final exam recordings of 4-5 minutes each.
jpn 102 students:  Mid-term recordings of 6-7 min. long each.  The final exam recordings of 7-10 minutes each.

Topics of the conversation should include what we learned this semester.

For example, JPN 101 students: You can talk about  “self-introduction, asking what time in Japan and telling what time at your place, asking where they are in Japan and about the weather there, asking and talking about the daily activities (weekdays and weekends) with frequencies (habitual activities), and likes and dislike, price of some items, etc..”   

Submit the best two recordings in a USB thumb drive with the reflection and self-graded rubrics (the link in the homepage).  Please do not e-mail me the recordings. Refer to the Calendar for the due date (usually on the test day).  (If the recording are collapsed and/or cannot be played in my computer, it will not be counted.) 

 

Here are the recording devices:   Please submit MP3 format.  You can use a free ware such as cloudConvert or onlineConverter to convert files to MP3.    

You can use the following sites to find Japanese natives for free. Some sites offer paid tutors.
Note:  Try at least a couple different sites since they may be gone without notice.

https://www.conversationexchange.com/  

https://www.italki.com

http://lang-8.com/

 Other tutor finding sites:  http://preply.com/         http://www.verbling.com/   etc. (If you find any good site, let me know)

App "Hello Talk"  or look for someone through your Facebook and friends.

Tips 1: Prepare a list of possible questions and phrases and lead the conversation:  Please prepare a list of questions and lead the conversation to limit the topics.  If you let native lead the conversation, it will get into a wonderland... (the topics that we have not practiced)

Tips 2: Naturalness:  It does not have to be perfect (actually, it is not natural if it is perfect at this level of proficiency) since I am grading based on fluency (including how you deal with situation that you do not understand what they are saying) and authenticity of conversation (if the conversation was rehearsed or you just read a prepared script, the highest score you can get is 70).  I expect good fluency (not too many unnatural pauses or hesitation noises in the conversation by repeating a same phrase such as "えーと.".  Make the conversation as natural as possible by repeating what you heard (Echoing), confirming what they said, or occasionally saying Aizuchi (listening signals)  such as “あ、そうですか (I see), ほんとうですか (is that right?), わたしも (me, too),  , etc.” to show that you are listening to what they are saying.  Just going over your questions and getting answers make it sound like “interrogation”, and it is unnatural as a conversation.  Listen  carefully to what they are saying and respond to the responses as much as you can.  Also refer to the "Useful Phrases" below.

Tips 3: Grading Rubrics (Word file download): You need to listen your recordings and grade yourself.  Also type your answers to the questions under the rubric and turn it in with the recording in a USB drive.

Tips 4: Go beyond your comfort zone (get out of your shell)!   As the world is getting smaller due to modern technology, near future you will get into a situation where you have to deal with a stranger from a different country.  This is a good chance for you to experience and learn how to cope with the situation.

 

A sample  message to a native : When talking with a native Japanese, ask them to respond in Japanese (not in English), while you are recording.  If the Japanese person does not seem to understand what you are requesting (some Japanese natives on the Internet do not understand much English), show the following message (print it out big).　You can include the following Japanese message when you are posting your request in searching for a native on-line so that they will understand the situation beforehand.

「10分ぐらいの日本語だけの会話を録音する」という日本語のクラスの宿題に協力をして頂きたいのですが、いいですか？　
日本語だけでの 会話は8-10分ぐらいで終わると思います。 その後で英語で会話をしましょう。 私の日本語は勉強し始めてからまだ6ヶ月ぐらいの初級レベルです。 こちらが、いいと言うまで日本語だけで話してもらえますか？　クラスで発表をしますので顔写真をとってもいいですか？　写真がだめな場合はそう言ってください。 ご協力感謝いたします。 (この日本語のメッセージは日本語の先生が書きました。私はまだ日本語は上手に書けません。）

Translation:
Is it fine with you to do my Japanese language assignment that I have to record the Japanese-only conversation?
The Japanese conversation will be about ８ to 10 minutes. Let’s converse in English after the recording.  My Japanese is an Elementary level of six months of learning. Could you speak only in Japanese until I let you know when we can speak in English? 　May I take your face photo to present it in class? If photo is not good, let me know. I appreciate your cooperation. (My Japanese instructor wrote this Japanese message.  I cannot write in Japanese well yet.)

 

Message to a tutor before recording:

録音している間は英語で話さないで下さい。日本語だけで会話してください。間違いや日本語を教えるのは、録音した会話の後で行ってください。　初級レベルの（できるだけ）自然な会話を評価しているので、録音の前に会話を事前に練習したり、リハーサル等はしないでください。　宜しくお願いします。　（日本語教師：加納）

Translation:  Please do not speak English during the recorded Japanese conversation.  Please speak only in Japanese during the recording.  Correction and feedback should be given after the recording.  Since I am grading a natural conversation exchanges at this level of Japanese proficiency, please do not rehearse or practice beforehand.  Thank you.  Japanese instructor:  Kano

Useful phrases.

Start with greetings such as:  こんにちは、(はじめまして。or おひさしぶりですね)　よろしく　おねがいします。

I start the Japanese interview.  　にほんごの　インタビューを　はじめます。　

Sorry.  Please say it more slowly. すみません。　もうすこし　ゆっくり　いってください。

Sorry (always apologize first).  I did not understand.  Please teach me later in English.  すみません。 ちょっと　わかりませんでした。　あとで　えいごで　おしえてください。

(If the site has the CHAT or TEXT function.)   What is "---(a noun word)"  ?     Could you write (in chat) in Japanese?            "---(a noun word)" って　なんですか？　(チャットに or テキストに)　にほんごで　かいて　ください。

Thank you very much for today.  きょうは　ありがとうございました。　

Let’s speak in English from now.  いまから、えいごで はなしましょう。　

Verbs: To do やります（やる）to do; 　

To talk  しゃべります（しゃべる);  

To know  しっています　(しっている）

Not to know しりません

One more time:  もう　いっかい (instead of　 もう　いちど）